Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) climbed to victory on a shortened stage 20 of the 2019 Tour de France as Egan Bernal cemented his yellow jersey. After organizers shortened the route, stage 20 ran just 59 kilometers from Albertville to the Val Thorens, with only one climb.
Nibali went clear of the day’s breakaway at 12 kilometers to the finish. A chase was formed by his former breakaway partners but the Italian pushed ahead on the slopes to win with a 10-second advantage over Movistar’s Alejandro Valverde. Behind Valverde Mikel Landa took third.
“The last kilometers seems like they would never end. In the end, it was liberating to lift my arms at the Tour and it makes me extremely happy.”
Bernal had another strong day in the Alps and rolled over the stage 20 finish line in fourth cementing his GC victory ahead of the finale in Paris.
The general classification picture now has Thomas in second overall and Steven Kruijswijk (Jumbo-Visma) in third. Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick-Step), who spent two weeks in yellow, has dropped to fifth overall.
Summary – Stage 20 – Tour de France 2019
Alaphilippe is dropped – Stage 20 – Tour de France 2019
Last kilometer – Stage 20 – Tour de France 2019
Bernal and Thomas celebrating – Stage 20 – Tour de France 2019
The handshake – Stage 20 – Tour de France 2019
2019 Tour de France Results
Stage 20 results
1 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida 1:51:53
2 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar 0:00:10
3 Mikel Landa (Spa) Movistar 0:00:14
4 Egan Bernal (Col) Ineos 0:00:17
5 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Ineos
6 Rigoberto Uran (Col) EF Education First 0:00:23
7 Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
8 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 0:00:25
9 Wout Poels (Ned) Ineos 0:00:30
10 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar
General classification after stage 20
1 Egan Bernal (Col) Ineos 79:52:52
2 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Ineos 0:01:11
3 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 0:01:31
4 Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:01:56
5 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:03:45
6 Mikel Landa (Spa) Movistar 0:04:23
7 Rigoberto Uran (Col) EF Education First 0:05:15
8 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar 0:05:30
9 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar 0:06:12
10 Warren Barguil (Fra) Arkéa-Samsic 0:07:32